The mum-of three posted a letter on the retailer’s Facebook page after claiming her son was left googling “is Santa dead”.

She wrote: “I’m genuinely sad to write this. I wish on this busy shopping weekend my only gripe would be a badly packed shopping bag or a incorrectly sized item on the wrong hanger, but no… today a Soccer Sports team member/grinch almost stole Christmas.

“My eight-year-old son was in your Basingstoke store and was told that Father Christmas is dead by one of your members of staff serving him and his dad.

“My husband was horrified and quickly said ‘no he’s not you’ve got that wrong’, your member of staff continued to say ‘yes he is, don’t you know your history?’

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“I have already caught him googling ‘is Santa dead’ my heart skipped a beat at the thought of what he was about to come across googling things like that,” she wrote.

“You see, Sports Direct, childhood is very precious and the magic of Christmas no matter what your beliefs are, are exactly that… magic, but magic appears in a puff of smoke and disappears just as quickly.

“Ultimately Christmas is a time for goodwill so on that note we wish your worker a very merry Christmas and hope that Santa doesn’t forget him Christmas Day.”

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